Fencing for New Builds on the Bellarine Peninsula | What You Need Before Handover

Building a new home on the Bellarine Peninsula comes with fencing decisions that catch a lot of first-home builders off guard. The Fences Act 1968 (Vic), council permit rules and estate guidelines, and the practical business of getting a fence in while the site is still a building site all need sorting before the first post goes in.

The usual mistake is leaving the fence until the house is finished. By then the neighbour may have planted along the boundary, machinery has compacted the soil, and the trades you’d want to coordinate with have moved to the next job.

Plan the fence early in the build, not as an afterthought at handover.

What the Fences Act means for new build boundary fencing

The Fences Act 1968 (Vic) governs dividing fences between neighbours, including on a new build. Adjoining owners generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. Either owner can start the formal process with a fencing notice that sets out the proposed work and the estimated cost, and the other owner then has 30 days to respond. If you still can’t agree, the Magistrates’ Court can decide.

What counts as a sufficient fence depends on things like the existing fence style, how the land is used and the fences around it; for houses it’s typically about 1.8 m. If you want something more expensive than that, such as a taller fence or a different material, you can build it, but your neighbour only has to contribute their share of a sufficient fence. The difference is generally yours.

The practical step: before the build gets busy, list every shared boundary and talk to each neighbour about the fence you’re planning. If the new fence runs along a neighbour’s boundary, read how boundary fence cost sharing works in Victoria before you serve anything.

Council permits, estate guidelines and corner lots

Most of the Bellarine falls within the City of Greater Geelong. The council requires a building permit for a side or rear boundary fence over 2 m, a front fence over 1.5 m within 3 m of the street, a fence over 1 m within 9 m of intersecting streets on a corner, and a brick or masonry fence over 1.2 m. A planning permit is separate and may apply under zones and overlays, for example a Heritage Overlay, which can control fence height and design.

Newer estates add another layer. Many have design guidelines or covenants that set front-fence height, materials and sometimes colours, and these usually come with the contract of sale. If your lot has a planning permit for the subdivision, read its conditions too. Check all of this before you specify anything.

Corner lots deserve a second look. The 9 m rule exists to keep sight lines clear where streets meet, and a fence that looks fine from inside the block can block a driver’s view. Getting it wrong means cutting the fence down later.

Coordinating with the builder

On most new build sites the builder runs the job, concreters and other trades come and go, and machinery compacts the ground. By the time the house is finished, parts of the site can be harder to dig and drain differently from when the plans were drawn.

If the builder is including fencing in their scope, as some project builders do, get the specification in writing before they price it. Builder-spec fencing is often the cheapest acceptable option, not necessarily the right one for a Bellarine site. Ask for post sizes, footing depth and fixings suited to coastal conditions if you’re near the water.

If fencing isn’t in the builder’s scope, get quotes during construction while access is still easy. Once you’ve moved in and the landscaping is done, every trade that comes back has to work around it. Before any posts go in, make sure someone has requested free plans from Before You Dig Australia, because new estates are full of freshly laid services.

What to specify for a Bellarine new build fence

For many Bellarine new builds the practical choice is a timber paling fence with H4-rated or hardwood posts on proper concrete footings. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what many neighbours accept as a sufficient fence, and it handles Bellarine conditions when it’s installed properly.

If you want Colorbond, it’s a better long-term choice for much of the peninsula because it needs so little upkeep. Ask whether your block is exposed enough to justify a higher coating grade such as COLORBOND® Ultra steel. And if your neighbour is sharing the cost, get their agreement to the material and colour in writing; they may not want to pay toward an upgrade.

We build fences for new homes across the Bellarine and Greater Geelong, including the newer estates around Curlewis and Leopold. Our residential fencing page covers boundary and front fences.